1. Field of the Invention
The present device relates to measurement devices and, more specifically, to a template for aligning a ceiling utility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ceiling utilities requiring direct access to a room extend below a ceiling frame and through the center of a tile to add to the aesthetic appearance of the room. In order to extend through the center of a ceiling tile, the position of the utility extension needs to be aligned with the center of a grid opening in the ceiling frame. Once the utility is aligned with the center of the grid opening, a ceiling tile with a hole cut out at its center can be placed within the grid opening so that the utility extension extends through its center.
A variety of devices to calculate the center of a tile opening are exemplified in the following United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,068 issued to Andrews on Nov. 9, 1999, describes a gauge to be installed before the completion of the overhead system and before the ceiling tiles are installed. Once the gauge is installed, the arms can be extended to find the center of the tile. An extendable arm can then extend upwards to help define the center of the tile and where to position the fire sprinkler head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,238 issued to Harvey et al. on Jun. 19, 2001, describes a laser marking device for marking a reference point with laser light so that accurate measurements can be made to that point. The laser marking device has a support bar whose ends are adapted to slidably rest on an adjacent pair of bars of the grid. Thus, once the user positions the device at the center of the tile, a laser can shine a light towards the ceiling indicating the axis along which to drop the sprinkler head through the tile grid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,519 issued to Kretschmer on Dec. 12, 2000, describes a sprinkler head support bracket which is installable immediately above a ceiling tile. The assembly is the size of a plurality of tiles, roughly fifteen, and is secured in place above the grid by nylon straps. The bracket contains a flexible arm mover connected to a pipe clamp that is secured above a tile opening in the support bracket. A pipe is then routed through one of the openings in the pipe clamp which represents the center of the tile.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,514 issued to DeMarc on Jun. 8, 1999, describes a ceiling tile system with interlocking plastic ceiling tiles for covering a ceiling. Each tile has a side ridge on each side and corner tabs at each corner. The tabs and ridges are configured such that the ridges fit within the ridges of an adjacent panel and the corner tabs of the second panel are placed over the corner tabs of the first. Each tile is decorative with a star-shaped design forming a relief on one face of the tile and a raised shape on the other face. The shape is generally in the shape of a star with a circular portion at its center. Within the raised circular center, there is a circular depression at its center creating another detail to add to the tile's aesthetic quality. From the center portion, arms extend to make the shape of a star.
The patents discussed above describe complex positioning devices to find the center of a grid opening within a frame or disclose decorative tiles with designs in the center. However, these devices and systems for finding the center of a grid opening within a frame are difficult to work with and time consuming.
In addition, the patents discussed above describe methods for finding the center of a tile opening that are costly and expensive to implement. Specifically, the methods require substantial hardware and measuring devices.